It was safe to say that DeMatha took the momentum from its 4-1 semifinals win over the Heights into the Maryland Private Schools Championship game against Riverdale Baptist on May 30.

The Stags were in control going into the bottom of the seventh inning as they held on to a 5-2. The Crusaders flipped the script when they scored four runs in the seventh inning to walk away with a 6-5 win.

The Crusaders opened up with a 1-0 lead after junior Jose Rivera drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. DeMatha answered back in the second inning when freshman infielder/pitcher Thomas Keehn hit a RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.

The bottom half of the second saw Sergio Burgos belt a single then Devin Harrison tripled. Burgos went on to score, but was called out at third when he forgot to touch the bag. This started a heated discussion with Riverdale’s Head Coach Ryan Terrill and the home plate umpire. Terrill ended up being ejected from the game.

Riverdale’s Rajuan Scott drove in a run on a groundout to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. DeMatha came back once again when designated hitter Kyriq Woods walked and sophomore Will Glick laced a RBI double to knot things up at 2-2.

The Stags took their first lead of the game on a RBI single by senior outfielder Jarrett Faunce. Kyriq Woods followed with a two-run double that put DeMatha up 5-2.

Riverdale didn’t let the deficit phase them. Scott walked then Nehemiah Wright hit a double. Cortijo cut DeMatha’s lead to 5-3 with a RBI single. That setup Jose Rivera’s three-run walk off home run that helped the Crusaders claim their second straight Maryland Private Schools title.

DeMatha’s starting pitcher Marcus Brown took the lost. He was pitching a solid outing until the seventh inning when he gave up four big runs. Riverdale’s starter Blake Johnson pitched five innings and only gave up one run, but received a no decision.

The Crusaders win capped off a successful season in which they went 34-3.

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Ryan is the founder/editor-in-chief of Inside The Locker Room. He graduated from Iona College in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in Journalism, and he is currently pursuing a Master's degree at the University of Maryland in College Park.